Human Rights House Foundation statement
HRC57 – Item 4 – Interactive Dialogue – Belarus Group of Independent Experts
20 September 2024
Check against delivery.
Thank you, Vice-President.
We welcome the first oral update by the Group of Independent Experts on Belarus. The serious violations that they have highlighted, including arbitrary detention, torture, and the denial of fundamental freedoms have continued to escalate. We already have fears ahead of the proposed elections next year.
Human rights defenders like Andrei Chapiuk, Marfa Rabkova and Nasta Loika continue to suffer imprisonment, often without access to adequate legal representation or medical care. These cases are emblematic of the wider repression that Belarusian civil society faces daily, and we will ensure that this Council never forgets them.
The Mission of Belarus has said today that the Belarus-focused mandates of this Council have had no impact. We strongly disagree: The Special Rapporteur and the previously mandated Examination have provided a critical bridge between the international community and Belarusian civil society. They have done this over the course of a decade in which the authorities have systematically worked to isolate its civil society.
The mandates have provided evidence to the deteriorating human rights situation, including giving notice of possible crimes against humanity occurring in the country, and most importantly they have provided concrete recommendations to the Government of Belarus to address and remedy this situation. We urge Belarus to seize this opportunity and engage fully with the new Group of Independent Experts.
Vice-President.
We ask the Independent Experts: What avenues for accountability do you hope to prioritise in the coming months, and how can civil society contribute to your efforts in ensuring justice for the victims of these grave human rights violations?
Thank you.
